How to Design a Membership Program

Choose the focus of the membership program and create a business plan around it. Are members paying for access to information and content, supporting a larger mission such as saving whales or funding eduction, or are they paying for training of some type? Decide what content will be provided and what member levels and fees will be available. Decide who the target audience is by identifying their demographics, such as age, gender, income levels and education. Decide what format the membership will be delivered in.
Create a budget for the membership program. Expenses to consider include staff and computer services needed to manage the program, advertising and publicity costs, office supplies and miscellaneous expenses, mailing list acquisition, program maintenance and gifts and freebies for members and prospective members. Costs may increase as membership increases.
Plan the infrastructure and delivery method. Infrastructure refers to the internal process for accepting membership payments, managing member accounts, loading and maintaining content and tracking the progress of the program. The delivery method may be through email, a website with login, strictly through regular mail or a combination of all of these.
Create the content and delivery schedule. Writing content may require hiring writers or assigning the job to an employee. Requests, materials and content will need to follow a schedule in order to arrive in the members' email or account window at the appropriate time. Content can be a mix of blog posts, updates from experts, articles, audio or video scripts, reports or lessons.
Create a membership recruitment campaign. Plan online advertising, direct mail or other campaigns that draw in new members. Potential members must see the value in joining the program.
Plan a maintenance process. Getting new members is only the beginning of a membership program. Retaining and maintaining the membership will keep monthly income flowing into the business. Compelling offers at renewal time or automatic renewal built into the initial sign-up campaign are several ways to retain members. Continuous advertising and brand recognition can also help maintain membership numbers.
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How to Start an Herbal Business

Write a business plan for your herbal business. Outline your specific focus, such as whether you will cultivate medicinal herbs and sell them wholesale to wellness centers and naturopaths, or whether you will operate a retail store selling herbal products directly to consumers. Provide a marketing plan with concrete details about how you will reach customers interested in herbs and natural health, such as working cooperatively with holistic health practitioners. Attach financial information for your herbal business, including a balance sheet detailing your personal resources. Also include projections showing how much it will cost to buy the herbs and supplies necessary to start your business, and how much you will have to sell in order to break even and earn a profit. Provide specific information about profit margins for growing herbs and crafting herbal products.
Contact your city and state revenue departments and get the licenses necessary to run an herbal business. If you will be hiring employees for your herbal business, contact your state's unemployment insurance and industrial insurance divisions. Call the IRS and register as an employer to receive an employer identification number.
Follow FDA labelling requirements for herbal products, designating them as food supplements rather than medicines. Learn the specific language protocols for legally making claims about the uses and effectiveness of herbal products. Learn which herbs the FDA considers unsafe, such as ephedra, and do not sell them.
Set up a space for your herbal business. If you will be growing herbs, lease or buy a plot of land, as well as fertilizer and seeds. If you will be retailing herbs, lease a storefront in a part of town frequented by your target market, such as an affluent area with yoga studios and natural food stores. Outfit your retail location with shelves for inventory, books and accessories such as mortar and pestle sets. Purchase jars, scoops and labels for bulk herbs, as well as packages of herbs and tinctures, or liquid herbal preparations.
Market your herbal business by advertising in venues that appeal to your target market, such as local holistic health periodicals and food co-op newsletters. Set up booths at local wellness events. Network with naturopaths and other holistic health practitioners who recommend herbal products to their clients. Build an attractive, informative website describing your products and services. Include ecommerce capabilities to reach customers outside your immediate geographic area.
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How to Make Big Money With Animals

Responsibly breed dogs or other pets. Breeding animals is a high-paying job, especially with pure-bred dogs. By owning two dogs of the opposite sex that are officially recognized as a pure bred (American Kennel Club), and breeding and taking care of the animals, you can sell the puppies for a high-dollar price.
Sell pet supplies and medications. Find a company that you can join to sell pet supplies and apply to be the delivery person. Often times, the pet supplies seller will visit specific homes to help the pet owners with their new products.
Start a pet entertainment business. This may be starting a pet photography business by being a photographer who advertises your special care with animals, or running a show with talented animals by taking them to birthday parties or other gathering events. The entertainment business can produce a lot of money, as long as it is done legally.
Start an obedience training business. Become well rounded in pet obedience and get an obedience license. Go to local pet stores near you and apply to be their new obedience counselor, or start a private business of your own. Pet obedience school is a pricey program that people are willing to pay for their pets.
Work at a zoo or animal specific viewing center, like an aquarium or exotic bird viewing area. These places give you the chance to work with wild animals and learn about their habits and environment. Zoo keepers and specialists make a large salary to work with these amazing and somewhat dangerous animals. You may need a zoology degree to be in this field of work.
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